My Story

I am grateful for the big decision I made 3 years ago to prioritise my health. Ironically, it was during my tenure at an Australian State Department of Health where I had gradually become the unhealthiest I’ve ever been (infancy aside - I had 2 holes in my heart, so it wasn’t a rip roaring start!).

To be frank with you, I didn’t look sick. I didn’t look unlike most of my colleagues. The weight had crept up gradually over the past 5 years or so. My blood pressure had crept up, my depression and anxiety had crept up as had my alcohol consumption. There was an inverse relationship with my ability to sleep and my concentration levels, both of which were pretty poor. The tipping point for me was that I was always tired and that I had started to develop the symptoms of sleep apnoa again because I’d allowed my weight to creep up. I knew that sleep apnoae increased my risk of having a stroke. I did not want to wear a CPAP machine and did not want to have a stroke. I had already had major palatal and throat reconstruction as a treatment for sleep apnoae and did not want to go through that again. Something had to change.

And it did. I left my job, we sold our family home, we moved interstate and we bought a very old home by the seaside, near one of my sisters. I didn’t have to work. I could prioritise my health and focus on making some changes to our home by the ocean.

Since making the decision to prioritise my health and, just as gradually as my decline in health, my health has improved. I have changed the trajectory of my health journey and feel the fittest, strongest healthiest and most energetic I've ever been. Over the last three years I have made multiple small shifts in my behaviour, adopted new good habits and given up detrimental ones. Gradually I have watched a transformation of my physical body, my emotional health and my energy levels.

I am on an ongoing health journey and I continue to reflect on what my body, mind and soul need to thrive and flourish and seek professional health support when I require it.  I hope and pray my health journey has a long way to go.

For now I am grateful.

I have lost 15 kg to date.

My weight and my Body Mass Index has returned to what it was when I was 18.  I have energy when I wake up and throughout the day to do all that I need to do. I have safely come off antidepressants and ditched the glasses of wine each evening that I used to wind down with after a day’s work. My blood pressure has returned to within normal limits. I now am engaged in strenuous physical activity several times a week for 2 to 4 hours a day. I sleep 8 to 8 1/2 hours a night and have prevented a relapse of sleep apnea. I have set new health goals and have implemented habits to achieve these – habits that will improve  my physical strength, flexibility and brain health.

The Problem

Something has to change. Humanity is getting physically heavier by the year, suffering from more and more co-morbidities and becoming less mobile. Our current health care system, that continues to wait until people get sick before we help them, cannot meet the current demands let alone in 5-10 years time when there is an even more overweight and obese, sicker and older population.

Also, many excellent nurses suffer burnout and leave the profession entirely. They simply cannot reconcile the sacrifices to patient care that they are so regularly expected to adopt, given the inadequate staffing levels, to the standard of care that we have been trained to deliver. Nurses that have stayed in the profession have learned to coped in different ways. Some have found healthy ways to cope with ongoing stress such as meditation, exercise, community, hobbies, creative outlets. Many nurses have adopted unhealthy lifestyles  such as overeating and drinking to manage the stress. A survey of 2000 nurses commissioned by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has found that close to 60% plan to quit in the next 5 years because of overwork, exhaustion and burnout.

The Solution

For governments, across all sectors and levels, to prioritise Preventive Health measures for our nation at a policy level. In the meantime, for Australians to take agency of their health and be proactive towards improving their health and reducing our risk of developing chronic disease where we can.

Company History

I see a new way for Nursing – and it’s all about caring for you before you get sick. I am committed now to supporting you with practical plans, resources and strategies that aim to help you improve your health, so you stay out of the hospital system for as long as you can! I want to nurse you toward fabulous health, where you have the energy, strength, vitality and flexibility to do the things you love for longer.  I have gone “upstream” so to speak, to help prevent you from going any further on the path towards chronic disease and get you on a new path towards healthy longevity.

The Wellness Nurse podcast launched on International Nurses Day 2024 to inspire you with stories of everyday Australians taking proactive steps to improve their health and introduce you to professionals and practitioners that may be able to help you on your health Journey.

Launch Longevity Pty Ltd serves as the business structure to provide an independent nursing service to you.

My Vision

That Australians will be the healthiest and longest living people in the world.

 My Mission

 To contribute to the health and well-being of my community and the nation by inspiring and educating people and communities to take agency of, prioritise and invest in their health.

My heart and hope

 My hope is that you and your loved ones, and my loved ones, will have the humility and the courage to take a moment to Care. For your life.

That you offer yourself the time and space to make an honest self-assessment of your health. To imagine yourself on a life-map for a moment …. take stock of where you are at and where you are likely to go if you simply keep doing what you are doing.

 My hope is that you will choose to take responsibility for your body, mind and soul with self-love and compassion. That you will have a look at your body shape, not in a body shaming way, but with a longevity lens. Assess your habits and routines and seek professional assistance from specialised health professional and practitioners, if required, to start a new health journey, making small shifts in your lifestyle and achieving great results.

My hope for you is that YOU  find your reason NOW why YOU must look after your one precious life. Please don’t wait until you receive a diagnosis to suddenly start caring for your health. Or if you have had a health scare, please do not ignore the facts and hope they will go away. It’s unlikely they will and likely the situation will get worse if you do nothing. From my experience over the last 30 years as a Registered Nurse, seeing the impact of chronic disease on individuals and their loved ones, I promise you, you will be grateful that the “hard” you chose now is easier than the “hard” of chronic disease or death.  Choose the right hard. Please start now.

 Please, take the time to do the Health Selfie (COMING SOON!!) Start prioritising your health and investing in your future. Your loved ones will be so grateful you did.